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Mobilise for May Day

01/05/09

Speaking prior to the upcoming May Day marches and rallies in Belfast, Dublin, Cork and beyond, éirígí chairperson Brian Leeson had said that now, more than ever, people must stand up for workers’ rights.

Leeson said, “International Workers’ Day commemorates the historic struggle of working people throughout the world, and is recognised in every country except the United States, Canada, and South Africa.

“Here in Ireland éirígí have constantly defended the rights of workers, whether they be the brave sit-in of Visteon workers in Belfast, the undeterred striking Tesco workers in Cork, the defiant Polish workers unfairly dismissed from Belfast Subway and Delaney’s or the gallant Waterford Crystal employees.

“Employers should be not allowed to get away with shutting up shop and leaving workers and their families suffering on dole queues. Workers have now shown how to combat this.

“The past 12 months also have seen a lavish Six-County Investment conference which only copper-fastened the class divide by parties who should have known better.

“It has seen school leavers joining the dole queues north and south at an alarming rate and has seen no change in a draconian right wing budget in the Twenty-Six Counties and a flawed programme for government in the Six Counties.

“éirígí will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with all workers. Now, more than ever, worker and trade union militancy and solidarity are required to defend workers rights.

“I urge the wider public to publicly support the May Day rallies and help to defend the rights and living standards of all workers and their families.”

• The Cork May Day march takes place on Friday May 1, leaving from Connolly Hall, Lapps Quay, at 7pm.
• The Belfast May Day march takes place on Saturday May 2, assembling at the Arts College, York Street, at 12pm.
• The Dublin May Day march takes place on Saturday May 9, assembling at the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, at 2pm.

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